Bah Kut Teh

Ling
June 9, 2012Comment Closed

I’ve had a craving for Bak kut teh for some time now and finally decided to make it. Bak kut teh directly translates to “Meat bone tea“. It is a Chinese soup originating from Hokkien and Teochew communities consisting of pork cooked in a delicious and fragrant soup of various herbs and spices. Over time, many different versions developed but the soup base remains essentially the same. There’s also a chicken version often nicknamed “Chik Kut Teh”. This herbal soup is thought to provide a nutritious meal and boost their health. There are many Chinese of Hokkien decent in Malaysia and thus this dish was introduced to the country. The Hokkien version is darker due to the use of dark soy sauce.

Add pork then cover and bring to boil. Turn the heat down and leave to simmer for 1-2 hours to ensure meat is tender and flavoursome.

Then add the Chinese mushrooms and cook for a further 20 minutes.

Before serving, throw in Enoki mushroom and tofu puffs and bring to boil for 5 minutes. Add a dash of pepper and salt to taste. Mix through and your dish is ready to serve.

Bak kut teh in Malaysia is often served with rice and chopped bird’s eye chili (cili padi), minced garlic and a mixture of equal parts soy sauce and dark soy sauce or kecap manis as condiments.

I have found the Tean’s brand to be one of the better ones so if you can get this brand it’s preferable. With the choice of pork, choose a bone part of the pork as the meat will be more tender. If using pork forequarter, I recommend trimming the fat first, however some do like to eat the fat, should that be the case, it is entirely up to you to leave it in. If you have dried Chinese mushrooms make sure you soak them in water for an adequate amount of time until they soften. Feel free to use the soaking water in the soup as well to add flavour.

Enjoy! It’s very appetizing especially when eaten with the chilli and soy mix.